Ismael Rivera, Rafael Cortijo y Su Combo - Bienvenido! (1965)

After a four-year hiatus, Ismael Rivera returned to his former band for the first of Cortijo's series for Tico Records. Although the collective spirit cannot compare with his '50s group, there is energy to spare (thanks largely to Tito Puente's charts). Interestingly, Ismael Rivera composed a little over half the repertoire. Wonderful numbers like "Sinbad el Marino," "Mi Libertad Eres Tu," "Bomba Ae," his welcome tune "Aqui Estoy, Ya Llegué," "Los Vaqueros," "Borinquen," and "Lejos de Ti" attest to a little-explored side of the singer. Cortijo was moving into the changing '60s, and his band would be forced to move other areas, which would grant him some stability.~José A. Estévez, Jr.